AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File
A top CBS News publishing company appointed by editor-in-chief Bari Weiss reportedly threatened staffers alongside ending during a strained gathering Tuesday dawn that erupted into a confrontation complete the network’s safety of Israel and Gaza.
According to a Tuesday evening report from Oliver Darcy, the network’s abroad editor, Shayndi Raice — described by Status as “handpicked” by Weiss — addressed CBS News’ abroad agency following the newsletter’s Monday reporting. In that piece, Darcy shed ray on inner disputes complete Middle East coverage, including Weiss’ contentious discussions alongside 60 Minutes equal Lesley Stahl and Raice’s handling of a study by CBS News equal Holly Williams.
Status obtained audio of the virtual meeting, during which the publishing company spent approximately 15 minutes defending her editorial authority and rejecting accusations of “interference.”
“This is not your publishing platform,” she warned. “This is a business that we all activity for, and there’s a ranking in place. And at the end of the day, you have to answer to that hierarchy. If you can’t answer to that hierarchy, and you don’t hear to what we say, that is called insubordination, and it’s lawful evidence for firing.”
Although Raice insisted her remarks were not directed at Williams, she appeared to condemn the correspondent’s Oct. 7 coverage, questioning the decision to open an commemoration study alongside footage of Israeli strikes in Gaza.
Williams challenged Raice, though, complete the editorial changes imposed on her distinct Evening News report, including a disagreement complete whether to contain the Palestinian death toll in Gaza.
Raice stated to immediate the correspondent’s pushback, “If you think that deciding on October 7 that the way to open up an commemoration narrative concerning the worst assault on Jews since the Holocaust is to display a montage of Israeli bombs falling on countries in the Middle East, you have an opinion.”
Williams stated she had been informed that the revisions were mandatory and not open to negotiation, which Raice acknowledged.
The toggle grew equal additional contentious at another item whenever Raice referred to the Palestinian death toll as a “magic number,” arguing that often citing it amounted to “posturing.”
Williams additionally revealed that her chief exception concerned the elimination of allegations involving Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and warnings preceding the Oct. 7 attack.
Raice defended her exclusion, arguing that Netanyahu had denied those reports and CBS had not independently verified them.
“Those allegations are a sideshow,” Raice said. “It’s not important, and I fair think you got it wrong. And you likely got it incorrect since you don’t cognize the narrative as fine as I do.”
She went on to citation a latest trip to Israel anywhere she observed that “nobody really cares” concerning that story.
The publishing company additionally announced forthcoming changes to the abroad desk’s editorial workflow.
A CBS News spokesman did not immediately react to Status‘ petition for comment, but one attendee told Darcy that Raice’s remarks remaining “jaws on the floor.”
New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your regular summary and inspection of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!
